Birthday Dinner
by impossible123
Summary: Clara's boring and dull birthday dinner soon takes an unexpected turn as an unexpected visitor enters into the scene. Fluff


**_A/N: I've been meaning to post this for a month now. I had this thought for a birthday fanfic just a day before my birthday last month._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

"This chicken is a little dry, don't you-"

"Shut up, Linda. There's no reason for you to say that." Her father said between gritted teeth.

"But I believe it..."

Clara stopped overhearing the conversation between Linda and Clara's father.

It was her 28th birthday... And she wasn't going to spend her time overhearing these petty conversations.

Time wasn't meant to be spent on that.

Clara's gran understood that her grandchild was thoughtful in regards to the pair.

"The chicken was superb, Clara dear." The girl soon felt frail, bony fingers wrapping over Clara's hand. She turned to look at her grandmother, looking at her with a smile on her face whilst munching another piece of chicken. "You must give me the recipe sometime, love." The Gran winked before removing her hand to collect some gravy-drowned potato mash onto the fork

"It's nothing special, Gran." Clara said with a weak smile.

"Beauty and taste are found in the simplest of things, Clara." She said. The girl smiled. From all her family members, which were very few, her grandmother was the one who understood her the most.

The piece of chicken breast Clara had just cut glided across the plate, dragging reminents from contorns and gravy. Why couldn't she say that she could something good for once? And poultry for goodness sake?! Linda wasn't even able to cook a proper hard-boiled egg... Let alone a chicken!

They continued to eat in peace and quiet. The guests and their host all contributed to cleaning up and washing the dishes, with Linda being most reluctant.

They were soon around the coffee table. "Here's your present, Clara... From me... and Linda." Her father handed her a pink wrapped gift from across the table. The girl smiled, accepting the gift and tearing the wrapping nearly. She uncovered a small box, which on opening, showed a sleek bracelet having 6 silver charms; a ladybug, a bird, a heart, a star, a pen and a motorcycle.

She got it out of the box, smiling, her eyes shining in appreciation. "Thank you Dad." She turned to Linda and forced a smile. "Thank you Linda." The girl placed the bracelet back in the box, which in turn was placed on the coffee table.

"This is something small I wanted to bring you, love." A shaky voice to her right said. She glanced sideways to find her gran holding a soft, slightly deformed blue wrapped object in her hand. It was fairly large; almost the size of her lap, yet very light. Clara's smile was even more genuine as she took the gift. She tore the packaging In the same way as the previous, uncovering a TARDIS glue knitted scarf having silver and gold strands woven intricately though the knitting. "I hope you like it." Clara looked at it with tears glazing her eyes.

"I- I love it!" She breathed. It reminded her so much of the TARDIS... Of the Doctor...

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Her Dad sat up. "I'll go-"

"No no... I'll go." The girl was baffled as she walked through the corridor. She had told no one about this small party other than her family. She turned the door knob, without caring to peek through the small glass lens to see who it was. Her eyes shone as soon as she saw the slender, stick insect figure she was so familiar with. "Doctor." Clara breathed with a wide smile.

"Happy birthday, Clara Oswald." The Doctor said with a wide smile she rarely got the chance to observe. Her radiant smile said it all. As soon as she saw the Doctor, her heart would fill with unimaginable happiness. She threw herself on him and curled her arms around him, not noticing he held a bottle of wine in one hand and a gift in the other.

Clara pulled back, but still let her arms around his torso. "I thought you'd be angry because I came in the middle of your family dinner." The time lord said amusingly.

"Shut up, daft old man." She pulled him away before punching him in the arm.

Linda's voice boomed across the apartment. "Clara?"

The girl grabbed the wine bottle and placed her other hand into his. "Come on, silly old time lord." She dragged him to the living room. Needless to say, he did not resist, walking behind her with a smug smile Clara couldn't see.

They arrived in the nick of time, Clara arriving first, still witha smile on her face. The trio stated at the couple, Gran's lips having turned into a subtle smile. That was when it all clicked in.

_Who will she say the Doctor is?_

If she were to say that he was the Doctor, they would immediately associate the old Scottish stick insect with the young, eyebrow-less bow tie infant.

Clara's smile was now on the brink of disappearing, but she wouldn't let it. She had to hold on to it.

"Who have you brought, Clara?" Linda asked. The girl hated her. Ever since she laid eyes upon that woman Clara knew; Linda was a pessimist, always nagging and making her blood boil.

"He's..." Her mouth went dry. "He's-"

"John Smith."

_There goes the Doctor... Always saving the day, helping the damsel in distress._

The time lord placed the gift on the coffee table before shaking hand with all, giving them all a polite grin.

_The hand... Clara's hand was still in his._

_And she was sweating._

_He was just a friend... To them, he was just a co-worker._

"He's a friend... From work." She said, before slowly liberating her fingers. His hold was tight, but as soon as he noticed that she was uncomfortable showing this sort of intimacy in front of her relatives, the hold loosened itself and aided in making it less awkward.

The Doctor cleared his throat, bringing Clara back to reality.

_Oh yes.. Parents staring... The Doctor near her._

"Sit down Do- John Smith."

Clara blushed. _Almost let the cat out of the bag._

The girl walked and sat on the sofa, placing the wine on the table as the Doctor sat down next to her, leaving some space between them.

"I brought something small for you, Clara."

The companion smiled, forgetting there were people other than them. "Thank you." She replied, taking the gift. It was wrapped in beautiful TARDIS blue paper having silver stripes. Her eyes glistened as she turned it around to open it. Her hands were shaking, unlike all the other gifts she had opened that evening.

Or ever opened. Almost; since it wasn't the first gift she opened that was given to her by the Doctor himself.

A fairly large black velvet box was uncovered. Clara opened it delicately. It was a necklace... One of which she had not seen its likes before. It bore the pendent of a silhouette of a planet out of a silver-like material... Saturn would be the closest to it. The rings were composed of clear gems having the lightest streaks of technicolour. It was all supported by a fine silver chain.

"It's beautiful!" Clara exclaimed happily.

"Show us Clara." Her dad said from the other side of the cosy room. The magic she was possessed by was gone from her eyes as soon it was broken by her father. She turned the box towards them. Linda looked suspicious, her Dad was happy, and her Gran was overly delighted.

* * *

The rest of the dinner did not last long. A few repeated thanks by Clara, a few questions to Mr. John Smith about his occupation... Being a teacher of chemistry and human science... It all went very smoothly indeed.

"Take care love." Her dad said before heading out. He pecked her cheek. "If you ever need anything just call." Clara smiled.

"You too Dad."

Linda followed. No eye contact whatsoever; to be expected... Of course. "Happy birthday, Clara." She said indifferently.

Her grandmother looked back at her... Leaving last. "Keep your friend. He seems good company." Clara smiled, as did her grandmother. They left, and the girl closed the door.

Soon, Clara was alo-

"Friend from work, huh." She heard a voice from behind her.

Clara snickered, before turning on the spot. "Chemistry teacher?" She was amused.

He shook his head. "I don't know why you had to go for English." He was led closer to her. "You could've gone for Physics... Or..."

Clara stepped closer to the Doctor. "Gallifreyan?" Her voice was teasing as the Doctor stopped in front of her. Not too close, yet not too far.

"I'd see you trying to teach some uncontrollable time tots." He laughed.

"Hey!" Clara punched him in his arm.

The Doctor couldn't stop laughing. "Come on, Clara! You'd be perfect. A control freak trying to settle down twenty other mini control freaks."

"I am not a control freak."

"Doesn't look like it."

"Shut up."

After a while, the laughter died down and the apartment fell silent again.

"I want to thank you... For coming here and for giving me the necklace. I really loved it."

The Doctor's eyes glistened at her gratitude.

"Well, Clara Oswald." His think lips curled into a sleek smile. "You might want to thank me for something else."

The girl crossed her arms and arched her eyebrows. "What? For putting up with me?" She asked.

"No..." He said. "Something which might essentially be even better." He gave her his hand. "I'll show you."

Clara was baffled. He rarely looked so sincere and yet so gentle. She understood that his jokes and tricks were long gone. She let her hand slip into his before his fingers engulfed it and dragged her across the corridor. The girl let him take her to her bedroom and to the TARDIS. A small package, covered in brown paper, a bit larger than the one he'd previously given her.

She stared at it... Wondering what she should do.

"This is yours, Clara."

Clara let his hand go and walked to the gift before taking it.

"Is this... for me? Another?"

"Of course." The Doctor said. She did nothing... Only looking at it and trying to guess what it was from the thickness. It felt fairly flexible, and had a rough cuboidal shape. "it isn't going to open itself, you know." The Doctor laughed.

The girl tore the brown paper, to reveal an illustrated cover. The cover of a book she had wanted for months. Her eyes enlarged and sparkled as they filled with tears of joy. The book was from the Planet AG-46H. A human space traveller from the year 4067, who also happened to be a writer lived on that planet which was also inhabited by the zoolians. It happened that Clara and the Doctor, after meeting this writer and Clara becoming mesmerised by some of the stories she had read (in English, of course), they apparently broke the law of wearing green (yes that apparently was on of the most serious offences since, according to them, it was a colour only their mighty god could wear). The Doctor was wearing a green tee and they were banned. Trying to make them understand that they were oblivious to such a law made it even worse. Clara had been furious for a few days after that incident, walking around the TARDIS without talking to each other. If speaking was necessary, Clara used the TARDIS as the messanger, and the time lord's apologise would not repair the resentment in her heart... That she could never read his books again. After a few weeks, it was forgotten. At least by Clara.

"How?" She asked as Clara looked at him.

He was wearing a smug smile. "That's not all. Open it."

The girl opened it. On the first page, under the title in gold ink, was the author's signature and dedication. _To the sweetest control freak around. _"An autograph?"

"By the author himself." Happiness wavered in his voice.

"Oh, Doctor." Clara left the book on the console and ran to embrace the Doctor. She quite definitely lept onto him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Thank goodness that the Doctor had good balance since they would have definately toppled over. His arms wrapped around her as she nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. "Thank you." She breathed.

The Doctor's fingers soon found their way entangled in her hair. "You're welcome, Clara Oswald." He purred. The way the time lord had purred her name in her ear made her giggle, before pulling back.

"So... Want to go for an adventure? A birthday adventure?" Clara nodded before placing the gift on a secondary console and rushed next to the dials on the main console. "Where to?"

"Anywhere!" Clara exclaimed. The Doctor looked straight into her eyes. Those beautiful starry eyes and that gorgeous smile... It was the happiest he'd ever seen her in days.

"Off to everywhere." The time lord said before her and him pulled down the respective levers.

* * *

**_A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Feedback greatly appreciated! Take care!_**


End file.
